Electromagnet.



Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

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N 1 T I 1 W Y F. McELROY, DECD.

s. H. nceumv. Exscumx. ELECTROMAGNET. APPLICATION man MAR. z. 1911.

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o f E o C i@ I WITNESSES; INVENTR ATTY Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JAMES F. IVICELROY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK; SUSIE H. MCELROWL EXECUTRIX OFvSAID JAMES F. MCELROY, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR T0 CONSOLIDATED CAR-HEATING COM- PANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

ELECTROMAGNET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

`Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

Application filed March 7, 1911. Serial No. 612,810.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES F. MCELROY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albany, county of Albany, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electromagnets, the following being a full, clear, and exact disclosure of the one form of my invention which I at present deem preferable.

For a detailed description of the present form of my invention, reference may be had to the following specification and to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan partly in section, Fig. 2 is a front elevation, Fig. 3 is a transverse section through thecenter of the valve, Figs. 4 and 5 are sections through the valve disks, Fig. 6 is a diagram' of the electric circuits. n

This invention is an electromagnetic operating mechanism particularly intended\ for pneumatic service. It comprises in general two operating solenoids facing each other, but separated a slight distance apart and having a common magnetic core which passes across the'separating space and, as it is moved to and fro by the attraction of one solenoid to another, it operates a lever on the shaft of the valve. In the said separating. space between the opposed faces of the solenoid and at the bottom of said space is a junction box for the electric wires.

Turning to the accompanying drawing, the standard of the device is formed by a casting containing the aforesaid junction box A (shown in section in Fig. and two hollow solenoid end-plates A3', A.2 extending upward from either sideof the junction box A, as appears in Fig. 2, and forming the inner opposed ends of the two solenoids. This casting will be of iron `or other magnetic material.l Into the rear of each of the end plates A1 and A2 are screwed thimbleshaped iron caps B1 and B2 which inclose the respective solenoids. VThe two solenoids have a common magnetic core or plunger B l which is adapted to move to and fro in the hollow centers of the exciting solenoid coils D1 and D2, and also lto' pass across the space separating the end plates A1 and A2. The

coils D1 and D2 are wound in the usual manner upon hollow forms or spools, and in this case the central bores or openings of the caps B1 and B2 and similar tubular extensions A3 formed on the end .pieces A1 and A2. By this nieans the excitmg coils surround not`only the plunger B but also the magnetic tubularportions B3 and A3 ofthe vexternal magnetic'casing. This adds materially to the power of the Solenoids. Each of the end caps B1 and B2 has its central opening closed by a screw plug b carrying leather end pad b1. By this means the throw of the plunger B may be readily adjusted with respect to the alinement of the ports in the valve which the plunger B operates. Near the center of the plunger B is fixed a surrounding ring C with a horizontal fork on its upper side (see Fig. 3) embracing the extremity of the valve lever E. The said lever is slotted at its extremity and a pin C1 passing through the fork on the ring C enters the said slot and serves to 'operate the lever E as the plunger B moves from side to side. On the said ring C is a projecting handle C2 by which the plunger may be operated manually in the event of a failure of the electric current that energizes the solenoids. A brake-shoe c operated by a spring- 02 and pivoted by the spindle c1 serves to deaden the movement of the plunger B. It has happened in the use of electro-,pneumatic valves of this kind for controlling the doors of railway cars that the jarring of the train would cause the plunger to work forward and operate the valve of the pneumatic motor to cause the opening of the door. This is prevented by the brake shoe c, although the pressure apilied thereto by the spring c2 is not suiiicient to interfere with the normal operation of' the plunger by the solenoids. The valve itself is mounted on a bracket at one side of the aforesaid space between the, facing ends of the solenOids. The valve structure comprises a base block F traversed by the four air ducts 1, 2, 3 and i of which l and 2 enter horizontally on the opposite Sides while 3 and 4 enter vertically fronr the bottom. These four ducts terminate (see Figs. 4 and 5) in ports, numbered correspondingly 1, 2, 3 and A, on the horizontal valve seat formed on the upperside of the block F. There are also supplementary ports 1a and 2 for the ducts 1 and -2 respectively as particularly rob appears in Figs. a and 5. On the valve seat aforesaid rests the valve-disk G which is pressed down upon the seat by the spring F2 (see Fig. 3), which, at its lower end, rests in a circular recess in the top of the valvedisk G. Its Aupper end rests in a recess formed on the under side of a plate -F3 on the upper side of which is a small semicircular lug bearing on the inner surface of the cap F1. By this means the spring F2 is free to rotate with the valve-disk Gr which tends to ease the movement of the disk. The said valve-disk G is provided on its under side with a hub g which enters a cylindrical recess on the upper side of the block F. This hub g has on its under side a diametrical slot or groove in which engages a tongue on the upper end of'the spindle K. The spindle K passes vertically through a central opening in the block F and carries at its lower end the aforesaid valve lever E. This construction is one which ail'ords ready and convenient access to the valve and also renders it easy to assemble and take apart. Thus by simply unscrewing the cap piece F3 the valve disk G and its seat are exposed and .the valve may be operated while it is thus exposed either manually or by the solenoids.-

*ii/linie it is thus exposed, its correct operating positions being indicated by external marks, the adjusting plugs I) of the solenoid may be screwed in or out until the throw of the plunger B from one side to the other will rotate the valve-diskthe exact distance required to move it from one operative position to another. Conversely, in assembling, the spindle K will be dropped through the opening in the blockfF and its lower end sel cured to the lever Then the valve disk Gr will' be placed on its seat and turned until the groove in its hubg` fits over the tongue on the spindle K. -Tlien the spring F 2` 1s l placed on the valve disk and the cap F1 screwed down in place. The valve-disk G is traversed by suitable ducts for establishing the desired connections between. the aforesaid ports on the yvalve seat. These ducts in the disk G are shown in Figs. 4 and 5 as `forming two T-shaped passages, the extremities of which lie in the circular line occupied by the aforesaid ports. T hus .in the position of the valve disk shown 1n Fig. l the ducts in the disk serve to connect portJ 1 with port 3 and port 2 with port 4, and, if the port 1 is in communication with the source of air ysupply and port 2 with the exhaust, thev effect will be to connect the motor-port 3 with the' source of supply and the motor-port 4 with the exhaust. Gonversely, with the opposite position of lthe valve disk, shown in Fig. 5, the supplementary port l is in communication with the motor-port 4 and the supplementary port 2I with motor-port 3. This will give the reverse operatiom remembering that ports l andla are both in communication with the same admission duct and the ports 2 and'Q with the same outletduct. By this arran `ement of. supplementary ducts a comparatively short range of rotation of the disk Gr 1s required. I call particular attention to the fact that in this valve no stuffing-boxes are required, since/the spindle K by which the vdisk G 1s operated passes through the seat on which the disk rests, both the inletA Turning to Fig. 6, S1 and-S2 represent switches of any suitable kind normally held in the open position by springs, but` adapted to be turned to one side' or the other for vthe operation of either the solenoid D1 or the solenoid D2. The source of current is represented by the battery L, the left hand terminal of which is connected with the le` ver of each switch S1 and S2. The other terminal of the battery is connected to the inner terminals ofboth solenoids D1 and D2. The outer terminal of the solenoid D1 is connected to the outer terminal of each switch, and the outer terminal of the solenoid D2 is similarly connected to the inner termin-als of both switches. Hence by turning the switch S1 to the left the solenoid D1 will be energized and by turning it to the l'right the opposite solenoid Similarly by turning the switch S2 to the left the solenoid D2 will be energized and by turning itY to the right the sole- That I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electro-magnetic operating mechanism comprising a junction box, and spaced apart end plates extending from either side of said junction box in a single unitary structure, oppositely disposed solenoid coils, said end plates having means for supporting the inner ends of the respective coils, a reciprocatory core coacting with said coils, andan operating member connected to said core. I

2. An electromagnetic operating mechanism comprising a junction box and spaced apart end plates extending from either side of said junction box'v in a single unitary structure, said end plates having flanges opposit-ely disposed magnetic casings supported at their inner ends by said flanges, coils located within said casings, a reciprocatory core coacting` with said coils,l andan operating member connected with said core.

iis

' either side of said junction box in a single unitary structure, oppositely disposed magnetic casings having their'inner ends'removably attached to said end plates, coils located within said casings, a reciprocatory core coacting with said coils and spanning the space between said end plates above said junction box, and an operating member connected with said coil.

4.' An electro-magnetic operating mechae nism comprising astandard having spaced apart end plates, oppositely disposed magnetic caps having their inner ends attached to and supported by said end plates, the outer ends being free of and extended away fromsaid standard, solenoid coils within said caps, a reciprocatory core coperating with said coils, and an operating member connected with said core.

5. An electro-magnetic operating mechanism comprising a standard' having spaced apart end plates, oppositely disposed magnetic caps having their inner'endsattached to and supported by said end plates, the outer ends being free of and extended away from said standard, solenoid Acoils within said caps, a reciprocatory core cooperating with` said coils, an operating member connected with said core, and means` carried by said caps for adjusting the throw of said core. 6. An electro-magnetic -operatingmechanism comprising a standard having spaced `apart end plates, oppositely disposed magnetic caps having their inner ends attached to and 'supported by said end plates, the outer ends being free of and extended away from said standard, solenoid coils within said caps, a reciprocatory core coperating with said coils, and an operating member connected with Vsaid core, said end plates being provided with outwardly projecting tubular extensions engaging the inner ends of the respecti've solenoid coils.

7. An electro-magnetic operating mechanism comprising a standard havingl spaced apart end plates, oppositely disposed magnetic caps having their inner ends attached to and supported by said end plates, the

outer ends being Afree of and extend-ed away from said standard, solenoid coils within said caps, a reciprocatory core coperating with said coils, and an operating member connected with said. core, said caps being provided with tubular extensions engaging the outer ends of the respective solenoid coils.

j 8. An electro-magnetic operating mecha-v nism comprising a standard having spacedV ed by said end plates, the outer ends being free, solenoid coils within said caps, a core coperating with said coils, an operating member connected with said core, and means connected with the core between said end plates to manually operatethe core in the event of failure of the solenoid curi'ent.

10. An electro-magnetic operating mechanism comprising a standard having spaced apart end plates, oppositely disposed magnetic caps having their inner ends supported by said end plates, the outer ends lbeing free,

solenoid coils within said caps, a vcore cooperating with said coils, a ring secured to A said core, an operating member connected with said ring, and an actuating handle also connected to said ring.

11. An electro-magnetic operating mechanism comprising a standard having spaced apart end plates, oppositely disposed magnetic caps having their inner ends supported by said end plates, theouter ends being free, solenoid coils within said caps, a core c0- operating with said coils, a ring secured to 4100 said core between said end plates and provided with a fork, and an operating member connected with said fork.

12. An electro-magnetic operating mechanism comprising a standard having spaced apart end plates, oppositely disposed magnetic caps having their inner ends supported by said end plates, the outer ends being free, solenoid coils within said caps, a core coperating with said coils, a ringsecured to said core between said end plates and provided with a fork, an operating member connected with said fork, and an actuating handle also connected to said ring.

13. An electro-magnetic operating me'ch- 115 anism comprising a standard provided with an end plate, a cylindrical cap having its open end in detachable engagement with 'said end plate, the closed end of said cap being free of and extended `.way from said end plate, a solenoid coil inclosed by said cap, a solenoid core, and an operating member actuated by said core;

14. An electromagnetic operating mechanism comprising a standard provided with an end plate, a cylindrical cap supported at one end'by said end plate, the closed end of said 'cap being free, a solenoid coil inclosed by said cap, a solenoid core, an operating member actuated by said core, and an adjusting plug 'entering said cap, said end plate bemg' provided with a; tubular projection inclosed-by said coil.

n electro-ma 5 a'nism comprising a 'stand apart end plates provide 4extended fianges, oppositely disposed netic caps having their inner ends remov- I ably attached to' said lan 10 inclosed by said caps' and gnetic operating mechard having spaced d with outwardly mages, solenoid coils anges, a, core comember actuated by said n witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, befo re two subscribing witnesses,

this fourth day of March, 1911.

Witnesses JAMES F. MCELROY.

-Elmm'sr D. JANsni, ROBERT McLoomuNE. 

